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Order a few pairs of backup glasses from an outfit like Zenni. You can enter any prescription you want - just use your most recent one. Optometrists like to l

Order a few pairs of backup glasses from an outfit like Zenni. You can enter any prescription you want - just use your most recent one. Optometrists like to leave off the distance between your pupils, so you need an optician to measure that, but there are easy ways to find it yourself. My method is just look at a distant object through binoculars, adjust until the image circles merge comfortably, and then measure the distance between the centers of the eyepieces. The price is so low you can have several pairs of good quality backup glasses, and then just have one with you, at the same priority as, say, your medications. I've used this scheme to also acquire a set of weakened glasses - I just fudged the prescription numbers myself - for use at the computer (I'm 54 and don't have much focusing ability left). Aside from that you can also try Costco. No-BS optometry and very competitively priced eyeglasses.

rahimnathwani 6y ago
> I've used this scheme to also acquire a set of weakened glasses Yes, if you're over 40 and short-sighted, consider doing this. An optician recommended this to me a few years ago, and since then I always have a second pair of glasses which are 0.5 weaker. If you're buying from Zenni, then 'Blokz' is a good addition for computer glasses, as long as you're not a graphic designer.
- wrycoder 6y ago
  Depends on what you mean by "weaker". If you have a distance prescription and a reading prescription, move the reading prescription in the direction of the distance prescription.
wrycoder 6y ago
Depending on the state, the optometrist has to provide PD. But, there's an app for that: PD Measure
jfengel 6y ago
You do need to get that pupil distance correct. I mis-measured PD and the experience was extremely disturbing. It was as though my eyes would drift to weird angles to look through the correct part of the lens, but as soon as I moved my head they'd shift and try to regain the focus. Which they'd get and lose again. It was a bit like looking at the world with a low frame rate. I went to the store and ordered glasses from them. While measuring I told this story, and she felt sorry for me and told me the number. (Apparently they have to give it to you if you ask, but company policy is to withhold it since that's their only advantage over cheaper online services. Besides, I had just spent a bunch of money on glasses, and wouldn't need new ones for some time.)
- MarkusWandel 6y ago
  I had the optometrist write it down. I needed replacement lenses for my good glasses (broke one) and the best deal (by far) was Costco. The guy ignored the optometrist's PD and measured it himself with a gadget he had and the number was quite different. The glasses came out OK though they don't guarantee satisfaction putting new lenses in an old frame they don't have data for. For ordering with Zenni, I tried the binocular method and then, I think averaged that with the other two numbers. The Zenni glasses are also fine. Sensitivity to centering may be greater if you have strong cylindrical. In my case it's less than 1/4 the spherical. The $20 Zenni frames aren't quite as light or nearly indestructible as the $400 frames of my 22 year old good glasses. Plus you have to bend the little nose pad things yourself to get a comfortable fit. But now that I wear Zenni glasses around the house all the time, I've gotten used to them, and I may have bought my last pair of expensive glasses ever. Don't mail order frameless or bifocal glasses though.

rahimnathwani 6y ago

> I've used this scheme to also acquire a set of weakened glasses Yes, if you're over 40 and short-sighted, consider doing this. An optician recommended this to me a few years ago, and since then I always have a second pair of glasses which are 0.5 weaker. If you're buying from Zenni, then 'Blokz' is a good addition for computer glasses, as long as you're not a graphic designer.

wrycoder 6y ago
Depends on what you mean by "weaker". If you have a distance prescription and a reading prescription, move the reading prescription in the direction of the distance prescription.

wrycoder 6y ago

Depending on the state, the optometrist has to provide PD. But, there's an app for that: PD Measure

jfengel 6y ago

You do need to get that pupil distance correct. I mis-measured PD and the experience was extremely disturbing. It was as though my eyes would drift to weird angles to look through the correct part of the lens, but as soon as I moved my head they'd shift and try to regain the focus. Which they'd get and lose again. It was a bit like looking at the world with a low frame rate. I went to the store and ordered glasses from them. While measuring I told this story, and she felt sorry for me and told me the number. (Apparently they have to give it to you if you ask, but company policy is to withhold it since that's their only advantage over cheaper online services. Besides, I had just spent a bunch of money on glasses, and wouldn't need new ones for some time.)

MarkusWandel 6y ago
I had the optometrist write it down. I needed replacement lenses for my good glasses (broke one) and the best deal (by far) was Costco. The guy ignored the optometrist's PD and measured it himself with a gadget he had and the number was quite different. The glasses came out OK though they don't guarantee satisfaction putting new lenses in an old frame they don't have data for. For ordering with Zenni, I tried the binocular method and then, I think averaged that with the other two numbers. The Zenni glasses are also fine. Sensitivity to centering may be greater if you have strong cylindrical. In my case it's less than 1/4 the spherical. The $20 Zenni frames aren't quite as light or nearly indestructible as the $400 frames of my 22 year old good glasses. Plus you have to bend the little nose pad things yourself to get a comfortable fit. But now that I wear Zenni glasses around the house all the time, I've gotten used to them, and I may have bought my last pair of expensive glasses ever. Don't mail order frameless or bifocal glasses though.